1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to eyewear, and more particularly to eyewear having novel hinges, frames, lenses, components and/or accessories.
2. Prior Art
Eyewear must satisfy the demands of a variety of activities. For instance, a skier will need eyewear, such as sunglasses, that can be be modified to suit a day on the slopes. There could be a snowstorm in the morning and the skier would need a light amber lens to see through the haze while navigating his way down the mountain. By mid afternoon the sun could be shining brightly and reflecting off the snow, which would require a dark or mirrored lens to reduce the glare and so maximize visibility. A system to change lenses is necessary for the outdoor enthusiast. Likewise, a skier that is going to spend the day skiing moguls or in the back bowls may want a different type of temple or frame attachment to maximize the security of the fit. Furthermore, every user has different facial configurations--ears, noses, size of head--so the eyewear has to be designed to accomodate these different configurations.
Eyewear designs have been disclosed in the following documents: U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,032,017; 5,026,150; 4,995,713; 4,978,209; 4,895,438; 4,867,550; 4,834,523; 4,824,233; 4,822,158; 4,818,093; 4,730,915; 4,674,851; 4,564,272; 4,488,792; 4,461,548; 4,391,498; and 3,947,100; and French Patent No. 2,626,682 published Aug. 4, 1989 (corresponding to French Patent Application 890150178).
There remains a need for eyewear that has temples that can automatically adjust to fit the face; also, there is a need for temples that closely hug/fit the sides of the head for a secure fit; also, to ensure greater protection of the eye, there is a need to have a mechanism in the eyewear frame that allows the eyewear frame to absorb impact without falling off the face or breaking off at the point where the temple attaches to the frame; also, there is a need for temples that can move independently of one another in the vertical plain so that eyewear can be easily adjusted to fit the face when the ears are not evenly aligned; also, there is a need for a device that allows eyewear to fit comfortably on different shaped and sized noses without the use of expensive and complicated mechanisms; also, there is a need to have modularity designed into the eyewear so that lenses can be easily interchanged to cope with different sunlight conditions, whether it be due to the weather or to the altitude, and for different sporting or driving activities; also, there is a need for eyewear that is modular to enable wearers to change temples, frames, and the appearance of the eyewear; also, there is a need for a visor that can be attached securely to the eyewear frame to protect the face from ultra violet radiation; also, there is a need for a ski mask which can be attached securely to an eyewear frame to protect the face from the cold and wind; also, there is a need for a cord that can hook onto the temples and so allow the eyewear optionally to hang around the neck and prevent a wearer from losing the eyewear; also, there is a need for a mechanism that allows for the quick removal of eyewear temples and the attachment of a strap to keep eyewear secure during rigorous sporting activities.